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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PUBLICATIONS 

IN 

AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY 

Vol. IS, No. I, pp. 1-28 March 27, 191! 



MYTHS OP THE SOUTHERN SIERRA MI WOK 



S. A. BARRETT 



CONTEXTS 

PAGE 

Introductory Note 1 

1. The Six Peoplings of the World 2 

The Birth and Adventures of Falcon 6 

2. The birth of Falcon 6 

3. Falcon's contest with Ki'lak ... 7 

4. Falcon escapes the world fire S 

5. Coyote and Falcon create people 8 

6. Yayil's journey to the south world 9 

7. Falcon's search for Yayil 10 

8. Falcon rescues his sister 14 

0. Eagle Rescued From the Upper World 17 

10. Coyote Steals the Sun 19 

Myths of the Yosemite Valley 21 

11. The creation of Yosemite Valley 21 

12. The origin of El Capitan 22 

13. The origin of the present floor of the Yosemite Valley 22 

14. The Lost Arrow 22 

15. The spirit of Yosemite Falls 23 

Abstracts 24 

Glossary 26 



INTRODUCTORY NOTE 

While pursuing other investigations among the Miwok Indians of 
the Sierra Nevada region during the summer of 1906, I incidentally 
secured the following short series of myths. These are presented 
without exhaustive study, just as they were obtained from certain 
Mariposa, or Southern Sierra. Miwok informants. The investigations 
I refer to formed part of the work of the Archaeological and Ethno- 
logical Survey of California, conducted by the University of California 
through the munificence of Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst. 



2 University of California Publications in Am. Arch, and Ethn. [Vol.16 

Several collections of Miwok myths have appeared. Dr. C. Hart 
Merriam has published a most interesting volume. 1 Certain of my 
myths dealing with the same subjects as Dr. Merriam 's appear in 
nearly identical form, while others show interesting variations of the 
same myth incidents. His series covers a wider range than mine, 
though certain of the tales I present are not recorded by him. Pro- 
fessor A. L. Kroeber also has published'-' four Southern Sierra Miwok 
myths, while Mr. E. W. Gifford has recently published 3 a number of 
myths from the Central Sierra Miwok. Stephen Powers 4 records three 
Miwok myths. 



1. THE SIX PEOPLIXGS OF THE WORLD 5 

The world has been peopled six different times. The first people 
were just like the present Indians. Everything went well witli them 
until the great cannibal giant, Uwu'lin, 6 appeared in the north, where 
he commenced to eat people. Thence lie traveled all over the world 
and ate nearly every human being on it. 7 

Uwu'lin was a big giant who went about with a hunting sack on 
his back in which he placed his prey. His hands were so large that lie 
could, at a single grasp, hold a person between each two of his fingers. 
His hunting sack was so large that it would hold all the people of a 
village at once. He had neither brain, blood, nor ordinary heart. His 
heart, his only vulnerable point, was in a tiny spot in his heel. The 
people did not, however, know its location. 

Finally the few people still left in the world discussed how they 
might be rid of Uwu'lin. At last Fly found him asleep, and beginning 
at his head, traveled over every part of his body, biting him every- 
where. Uwu'lin gave no sign of feeling Fly's bites until his heel was 
reached. Then he kicked and Fly knew he had found the vulnerable 

spot. 



i The Dawn of the World, The Arthur II. Clark Co., Cleveland, 1910. 

- Indian Myths of South Central California, present series, IV, 167-250, 1007. 

a Miwok Myths, present series, xn, 2S3-338, 1917. 

* Tribes of California, Con+r. N. Am. Ethn., in, 358, 366, 367, 1877. 

■• What are in reality six distinct accounts of the creation of human beings 
are here grouped by one informant in a connected composite, and considered :is 
incidents of one myth. 

6 This term signifies eater and is derived from u'wu, to eat. 

" In his "The Dawn of the World," 169-172, Dr. Merriam gives another version 
of this myth. 



D. of D. 

APR 3 jg 1S 



1919] Barrett: Myths of the Southern Sierra Miwok 3 

Fly returned to his people and announced his discovery. All 

wondered how they might kill Uwu'lin. It was finally decided that 
they should make a large number of awls, tcidla, each about an inch 
in diameter and a foot long. These were placed all alone- the trail 
traveled by Uwu'lin and in such a manner that he could not walk 
without their sticking into his feet. Finally one of them pierced his 
heart. He died immediately. This was near the present town of 
Coulterville. It is said that a few years ago a man found here the 
petrified bones 8 of Uwu'lin. They were of immense size, especially the 
head. This man died within a few days after unearthing these hones. 

The second people of the world were the bird people. The mythical 
being Te'lelkin stole a large number of these people. The remainder 
left because the world was overrun by the big black ground ants. 

The third peopling of the world was by bird and mammal people, 
most, of whom later became our present birds and mammals. The 
chiefs 9 of this people were Morning-star and Puma. Their home was 
in the large chamber of Bower Cave. 10 The stalactitic formations now 
to be seen in this cave are in reality only the dried meat and entrails 
which these chiefs had as food. 

Raven was the great hunter at this cave home of the chiefs. Wild- 
cat, Fox. and certain others were also very important personages. Raven 
was originally pure white, but when he went out hunting the deer saw 
him and he was unable to get near enough to shoot. He smeared 
charcoal paint all over his body and found that he was less easily seen. 
Hence his present black color. 

All of these people, except Morning-star, became birds and 
mammals as indicated. 

The fourth peopling of the world came about in this way. Fox 
was Skunk's son-in-law and a great hunter. He killed great numbers 
of elk for Skunk. 11 who was chief, and a very overbearing man. He 
took his men out to hunt and stationed them properly, each behind a 
tree. He then went to windward and shot his horrible scent, thus 

driving all the game toward the hunters. Fox watched his ehai 

and shot several elk in line with a single arrow. Fox then took two 
of these elk at a time and carried them home. On such occasions Skunk 
would climb on these and dance around a.s Fox went along. Thus 
Skunk secured much meat from all the hunters. All this was dried 



s Mastodon remains are not infrequently found in California. 

9 Cf. Merriam, op. cit., 93-99. 

io Bower Cave is on the old Coulterville road into the Yosemite Valley. 

ii Cf. Merriam, op. cit., 117-120. 



4 University of California Publications in Am. Arch, and Ethn. [Vol. 16 

and stored, except what he himself ate. for he fed his hunters and 
others only on aeorn mush and such common foods. Even his own 
daughter was never allowed more than a few mouthfuls of meat by 
Skunk. 

After a time some of the hunters began to grumble at this treat- 
ment. They could see no reason why they should always hunt for 
Skunk's benefit and never receive even a taste of the meat. They 
finally decided that the only way to escape oppression was to kill the 
tyrant. They dared not kill him above ground because of the odor 
which was sure to result. They, therefore, got Badger to dig a hole 
in which to kill Skunk. At first they were going to dig it under Skunk's 
bed, l>ut recalled that he was a good dancer and deeided to dig it 
directly under the dancing area. 

When night came they filled the bottom of this pit with red-hot coals 
and covered it over like a pitfall. They also secured a flat stone big 
enough to completely cover the opening after Skunk had been trapped. 
They then invited Skunk to dance. The harder he danced the louder 
they praised him. Thus he danced more and more violently, sinking 
meanwhile deeper and deeper into the soft covering of the pit. Finally 
he sank out of sight and all rushed to cover the hole with the stone, 
upon which they placed other stones as weights. 

Skunk shot his scent repeatedly as he tried to escape. This made 
all the mountains rise up out of the formerly level surface of the earth. 
Finally Skunk died in this pit. The people then had a great feast on 
his store of dried meat. 

When they had finished this feast, all were transformed, each into 
the particular animal form he has now. None had to hunt thereafter 
with bow and arrow. 

The sixth 12 peopling was as follows* Coyote proposed to create 
foods and people. Frog said, "This is all very well, to create all kinds 
of things, but what good will that do while there is nothing but water 
here? How can your people live without laud?" 

Coyote 13 had been looking for the best diver, and finally said to 
Duck, 14 "Dive and see if you can not find some dirt." He did so 
without results, as did also two other kinds of ducks and Watersnake. 
Finally Frog dived and returned with two handfuls of sand held 



12 The details of the fifth peopling of the world were not recalled by the 
informant. 

13 Professor Kroeber gives a variant of this incident in his myths of South 
Central California, op. cit., 202. 

n A small bluish species of duck called hi'lkuhnai. 



1919] Barrett: Myths of the Southern Sierra Miwok 5 

above his head. As he came up Coyote called, "Take care, do not 
drop that." Coyote then scattered sand all around and thus made 
land upon which his people eottld live. 

Coyote then planted all kinds of food. such, as pine nuts, acorns, 
and others. He fell to wondering what good these things were when 
no one was on earth to use them. He gathered about him half a dozen 
wise men and talked things over with them. 

Finally Coyote said, "I have decided to make some good people in 
this country." Others asked what kind he intended to make. Coyote 
replied. "I do not know exactly but I am sure I can make them in 
some way. You see we have all kinds of food [enumerating them], 
so we must make some people to use them." The others suggested 
that Coyote create people at once and he agreed to do so. He said. 
" Do you see my foot? Do you think people could use a foot like that ?" 
"No," said Waterdog, "look at mine." Coyote said. "Will, yours is 
the same as mine; both are round." Then Lizard 13 spoke up, "Your 
feet are certainly too round. How can people pick tip all kinds of 
foods if they have feet like yours.' Now look at my foot. It has five 
toes so that I can pick up anything, shoot the bow and arrow, and 
do many useful things easily." Coyote said. "You are right; yours 
is the proper kind. I shall make people and place them all over the 
world. Their villages shall be only a little apart, there will be so 
many of them. I shall arrange it so that a man shall have one wife." 
"All right." said Lizard, "you know how to make. them, so go ahead." 

Coyote accordingly made many people, placing both men and women 
in villages very close together. Lizard asked why Coyote had placed 
the men and women together. He replied that thus each pair should 
produce a child each year and thereby increase the population. Coyote 
added that this was to be the last act of creation and that they could 
now be content with their work. Thus did Coyote create the people 
with hands and feet like Lizard's, and send them off to certain 
specified places in every direction. 

Coyote said to Frog, "You like the water. You shall continue to 
live in the water hereafter." Thus he spoke to each of the animal 
people and designated what form each should have and where each 
should live thereafter. At last hi' said. "You shall all be animals as I 
have designated. I shall be Coyote and travel about at night in search 
of my food. There shall be good people living here after this." 



is This was the particular species of large lizard called kassatu. Cf Merriam, 
op. oit., 61. 



University of California Publications in Am. Arch, ami Ethn. [Vol.16 



THE BIRTH AND ADVENTURES OF FALCON 16 
2. THE BIRTH OP FALCON 

Condor always roosted on a certain large rock on a small hill 
between the west bank of the San Joaquin river and the eastern foot 
of Mount Diablo. 17 Pie flew about hunting but always returned every 
night to roost on this rock. 

After a time, the rock became ill and Condor brought two doctors 18 
to cure her. The doctors at once began to gather wood. It took them 
a whole day to bring enough for their purpose. That night they built 
a big fire and placed the rock in its center. Then they piled on still 
more wood. 

When the rock became very hot, it suddenly burst with a loud 
report, and from it came Falcon. As he emerged, he gave his char- 
acteristic cry. "wek." He flew to a tree and alighted upon a branch. 
The doctors then told Condor that his wife was well and had given 
birth to a boy. 

Falcon straightway became chief. He noticed that whenever he 

flew about all the rocks called after him, "o ." 19 One day 

Falcon asked his father, "Why is it that all the rocks shout at me 
whenever I go out?" "Oh," said Condor, "those are your relatives. 
They are rejoicing that you are chief." 

The next day as Falcon flew near the river he heard the same shout- 
ing and decided to sit on a stump and watch. Presently he saw an 
object moving up and down the river and making a large ripple. He 
went to his father and inquired about this strange being. Condor 
said, "My son, that is your grandfather, the biggest and wisest man 
in the world." "Well," said Falcon, "I wish I might get him out of 
the water where I could talk to him and learn something." Condor 
replied, "That yon could never do. You might catch him and cut a 
small piece from his body. That would then come to life and talk to 
you." Next day the boy took his stone knife and sat down to watch 
for his grandfather. Finally he cut off a piece of the stump upon 
which he was sitting, brought it home and left it in the house. The 



ie Cf. Merriam, op. cit., 67-73. 

i T This hill is the center of various important events in Miwok -mythology. 

is The identity of these doctors could not be exactly determined, but from 
the description given they were probably snapping flycatchers. 

is This is said with a falling inflection and is the usual ejaculation indicative 
ef satisfaction and assent, and especially shows approval of a speech. 



1919] Barrett: Myths of the Southern Sierra Miwok 7 

next morning Coyote appeared and walked around the house. Condor 
then said. "Now, my son. you have your grandfather and he can 
instruct you in many things. I, myself, know very little. Of course, 
I will help you as much as possible, but Coyote can tell you all you 
wish to know." Coyote agreed to help Falcon make anything he 
desired. 

Falcon then went everywhere, and Coyote answered all his ques- 
tions about things he had seen. Among other matters, Coyote told 
Falcon of the great Ki'lak. 

3. FALCON'S CONTEST WITH KI'LAK 

Finally Falcon said, "Now. grandfather, I want to have a good 
time, so I am going to see Ki'lak, 2 " of whom you have told me.'" ( loyote 
replied, "All right, hut you must !»■ very careful." Falcon said. 
"Well, I will, of course, lie careful, but I want to play a game with 
Ki'lak." Coyote's parting injunction was to he very cautious and to 
have plenty of heads with which to gamble. When Falcon started, 
great quantities of beads came flying after him. 

When he reached Ki'lak's house. Falcon said. "I came to see you. 
I want to visit and play games with you." Ki'lak agreed to play later, 
saying that he did not feel well just then. 

Now Ki'lak had a big dance house built entirely of stone. He 
made a great hot tire and put into it eight round stones each about 
the size of a child's head. These were the stones with which they were 
to play. Ki'lak suggested that Falcon take first chance in the game, 
hut. after some discussion, it was agreed that Ki'lak should he the 
first to try his skill at dodging. Ki'lak (lew. therefore, constantly 
singing as is the custom of the one who is doing the "dodging" in any 
game. Falcon threw all eight stones but missed his mark each time. 
He did not want to kill Ki'lak yet, so purposely missed him. Coyote 
had told Falcon before he left home that if he wished to kill Ki'lak 
he must strike a small, white spot on the under surface of the right 
wing. Here was located Ki'lak's heart, his only vulnerable spot. 

Next, Ki'lak threw at Falcon with no better success. The two again 
exchanged places with like results. 

Finally, while Ki'lak was throwing for the fourth time, he began 
to fear that Falcon might yet beat him. 

Then, as Falcon was throwing at Ki'lak in this fourth series he 
said to himself, "This is really easy. I can kill this fellow any time 
I like." 



20 Cf. Merriam. op. tit., 75-82. 



8 University of California Publications in Am. Arch, and Ethn. [Vol.16 

Falcon's grandfather. Turtle, lived here with Ki'lak. He prompted 
Falcon at this juncture, saying, "You had better kill that fellow. Hit 
his heart, right at the small white spot. ' ' 

Now before leaving for his journey to Ki'lak, Falcon had placed 
a single condor feather on top of Condor's house as a life token. He 
had arranged that if he were killed the feather was to fall over, and, 
if he were ill or in danger, it was to sway. 

Falcon had missed Ki'lak so often by now that he despaired of 
success and decided to give up and let Ki'lak hit him. thus ending the 
contest. He did so and fell to the ground stunned. Ki'lak thought 
Falcon dead and threw him aside in a corner of the house. 

Just then the life token on Condor's house fell and Coyote knew 
what had happened. He wept bitterly and rolled about on the ground 
in his sorrow. Finally he rose and started off to see Ki'lak. 

Coyote told Ki'lak, "I am an old man. I have come here to play 
with you, and we will have a hard game." They then laid their 
wagers and commenced to play. Owing to Coyote's rage and desire 
for vengeance he missed the first four shots he threw. However, his 
fifth stone struck the small white spot on Ki'lak 's wing and killed him 
instantly. 

■J. FALCON ESCAPES THE WORLD FIRE 

When Ki'lak died, everything throughout the world appeared to 
burst open and almost immediately the whole world began to burn. 
It burned a very long time. As the fire neared the point where Coyote 
lay he said to Falcon, "Take your sister and go down to the ocean 
and into the water until the world cools off. Condor and I will remain 
here. Nothing can harm us." After about a month the world was 
.sufficiently cool for Falcon to return. Coyote asked him how he had 
fared down in the ocean. Falcon replied that he had been very com- 
fortable. 

5. COYOTE AND FALCON CREATE PEOPLE" 

Falcon traveled everywhere. As he did so he pondered on the 
power which Coyote possessed and reasoned that he must have very 
great power in order to have killed Ki'lak. He returned and told 
Coyote that everyone shouted at him as he passed just as he had 
previously reported to Condor. Coyote confirmed Condor's statements 
to Falcon. 



21 Cf. Merriam, op. cit., 146-149. 



1919] Barrett: Myths of the Southern Sierra Kiwoh 9 

Falcon then proposed that Coyote create human beings. .Coyote 
replied that it would mean a great deal of work, but Falcon insisted 
that it be done. Coyote finally told Falcon how they must pi ed. 

Accordingly Coyote went out and threw himself upon the ground, 
simulating a dead body. Presently a large flock of crows and buzzards 
gathered about and commenced to peck at Coyote's rump. lie kept 
perfectly still until the birds had eaten a large hole in one side and 
were within. He then caused the hole to close very suddenly and 
caught a considerable number of them. He took them home and 
Falcon plucked them. "Now," said Coyote, "we will go out in the 
country and put these feathers in every direction." On each hill they 
placed one buzzard and one crow feather. The crow feathers became 
the common people and the buzzard feathers, the chiefs. As Coyote 
deposited the feathers he named each place, and on the following day 
there were people living in all these localities. 

Coyote then said to Falcon, "Now that there is a new people, we 
shall have to become animals. I shall lie coyote; no one will miss me. 
You shall be falcon, and everyone shall know you as chief." Straight- 
way all of the then existing animal people were transmuted and became 
birds and mammals according as Coyote directed. 

6. YAYIL'S JOURNEY TO THE SOUTH WORLDS 

Falcon's father, Yayil, was a great gambler. lie journed south- 
ward until he found the passage leading from the end of this world 
into that toward the south. Here was the village of all those birds 
which usually came from the south in the spring. Ruzzard was their 
chief. Yayil proposed that they play "running ball" down at the 
shore of the ocean which bounds the universe in that direction. 
Buzzard agreed and they went thither at once. They met Ku'tcu 23 
who was chief of the village and a very dangerous person, as Yayil 
soon discovered. Yayil proposed that Ku'tcu also join in the game. 
He agreed and Yayil said boastfully, "It is good that you will play 
with us. I have plenty of beads." "Very well, we will play in the 
morning," replied Ku'tcu. He then told Woodrat to gather wood and 
bark to make two large piles for a big fire when it should be needed. 

Early the next morning all assembled for the race, Yayil being 
accompanied by Dove, who was the only other man present from the 
north. 



22 Cf. Merriam. op. cit., 179-189. 

23 While the informant called this personage "buffalo," a supernatural, 
shaggy animal somewhat resembling the buffalo is really meant. 



10 University of California Publications in Am. Arch, and Ethn. [Vol. 16 

Ku'tcu won the race and Yayil reached the goal almost exhausted. 
He pulled bag after bag of beads from his hunting sack to pay Ins 
loss. In all he produced six bags, but Ku'tcu said. "No, that will nut 
do. We do not gamble for money here. You cannot pay your loss 
thai way. I shall have to burn you." Yayil was much surprised and 
said. "But why did you not tell me that last night?" Ku'tcu replied, 
"Well, that is the way we play here." So they took Yayil and put 
him into the fire built of the wood which Woodrat had gathered. As 
Yayil burned, Ku'tcu kept inquiring how he felt. He repeated his 
question successively as (he fire reached Yayil's feet, knees, belly, 
arms, shoulders, neck, nose, eyes, and forehead. Each time the ques- 
tion was asked after the fire had reached Yayil's arms, he replied. 
"Now I am going to die." But Ku'tcu said each time, "No, you must 
not die yet. You must talk some more." At last, however. Yayil 
made no reply to the question and they knew that he was dead. 

7. FALCON'S SEARCH FOR YAYIL" 

When Falcon finally grew to be a young man, he said to his mother 
one day, "Had I no father?" She made him no reply, so he asked 
others in the village, but no one would tell him of his father's dis- 
appearance. He therefore went out a short distance from the village 
and stood an arrow up on end. As he watched it the wind blew it 
over toward the south. He knew by this token the direction in which 
his father had gone. He next returned to the village and told the 
people that he knew his father had gone toward the south and again 
asked them why he had disappeared; but everyone professed ignorance 
as to his fate. 

Falcon next procured a large forked log resembling the form of a 
man. and that night placed it in bed with his wife. Duck, while he 
burrowed out of the village. In company with a close friend, he 
emerged from the ground at a point about half a mile away. Then 
they journeyed rapidly toward the south end of the world. 

When his wife awoke in the morning, she found the log and 
realized the deception. She at once made inquiry of some of the 
people concerning her husband's whereabouts, but they always growled 
at her and drove her away, telling her not to ply them with foolish 
questions. At last, she pulled out some of her own hair and threw it 
into the air. It blew toward the south, thus showing her the direction 



Of. Gifford, op. cit., 306-310. 



1919] Barrett : Myths of thi Southern Sierra Miwok 11 

Falcon had taken. Duck then loaded two or three burden baskets 
with food and started southward to follow her husband. 

By nightfall Falcon and his partner had reached a point far toward 
the south end of the world, and that night Falcon dreamed that his 
wife was following him. In the morning he said to his partner, 
"Would not you like something to ea1 .'" His partner replied, "Well, 
what it' I should.' We have nothing." Falcon answered. "But f 
dreamed that my wife is following us." 

lie then hid near the trail with his bow and arrow drawn to kill 
Duck upon her arrival. She. however, was as good a diviner as he, 
and knew his intention. She said. "No, you shall not kill me.'" and 
as she approached, Falcon's arrow dropped as if by magic from his 
hand. She scolded him severely for Leaving her and told him that he 
could not make the journey without her help. The two men ate some 
of the food she had brought and drank water which she provided. 
Falcon then told her that she must not try to accompany them farther, 
and if she persisted, he would surely kill her. She replied, "All right, 
then. I shall die. for I am going with you." 

"When they had gone a short distance. Falcon told his partner and 
his wife to go on. while he went a short distance off the trail to visit 
his brother-in-law, Lizard. 25 Falcon's aunt, Frog, 2 ' 1 was Lizard's wife. 

As Falcon approached the house he found his aunt outside grind- 
ing acorns. When she spied Falcon she raised her hand to warn him 
he must approach quietly and slowly. Even though he did so. old 
Lizard heard a slight sound and called out repeatedly to Frog to know 
who was coming. She replied each time that she herself was making 
the noise because the flies were troubling her. When Falcon came close 
enough she gave him some meat and told him to eat it quickly. He 
did so and then quietly slipped away. 

Just as he was nearly out of sight old Lizard came out of the house 
and saw him. He immediately set fire to the grass and the fire pursued 
Falcon, who ran back to his companions, and the three hurried on to 
the south end of the world, to the gateway, formed by a large opening 
and closing rock 27 which is the entrance to the world at the south 
of ours. 

They tried to climb to the top of this rock wall, but the tire came 
and knocked them off. Thev ran on to the other three ends of the 



-'• This is a very large, long species of lizard, called owo'to. 
2 R A certain species of frog, called olotcokomayi or olo'teoma. 

" Said by the informant to lie down in the " A]. ache country.' 



12 University of California Publications in Am. Arch, and Ethn. [Vol. 16 

world in the following order: east, north, and west. Finally they tried 
to jump up to the sky. All this was to no avail, however, for the fire 
always pursued them and they were now almost exhausted. Finally. 
Duck said to Falcon. "Let us see you make a spring to save us from 
the fire." Falcon made a small spring and all three got into it. But 
the fire came and soon made the water boil and drove them out. 

They again ran toward the south until Duck said, "Well, I'm so 
tired I can go no farther. Can you not stop this fire 1 " Falcon replied 
that he could not. and Duck said. "I shall try it and sec what I can 
do." So saying, she took off her tule skirt and threw it to one side 
of the trail. This made immediately a very large spring. The fire 
came but could not boil the water, and finally went out, so that all 
were saved. 

They went on to the southern gateway above mentioned. Again 
Falcon .tried to persuade Duck not to go with him, but she persisted. 
He tried twice to pass through the opening. The second time he 
succeeded except that the rock caught the tip of the tail of his dog- 
skin quiver. He showed this to his partner and to Duck, advising the 
former to be very careful in trying to get through and the latter to 
return home and not try to go farther. His partner jumped through 
with ease and Falcon acknowledged himself outdone. Again he tried 
to persuade his wife to give up the trip, but she said that he must 
return and carry her through or she would jump by herself and let 
the rock crush and kill her. He finally placed her in his quiver and 
jumped through. The rock, however, came down just in time to catch 
the end of the quiver and clipped off the tips of Duck's feet. That is 
the reason why ducks now have such short feet. 

Buzzard dreamed that some one was coming from the north to visit 
the village of the people of the south world. He told his people they 
had better be on the lookout for lie had dreamed that a man. his wife, 
and his partner were coming from the north to visit them. He told 
Toki'bna 28 to go out and watch. He did so and about mid-afternoon 
reported that the travelers were approaching. 

Falcon had told his wife that she must be ready to go with any 
of the men of the village who might request her to do so that night. 
Ku'tcu gave Coyote a bag of fine, large beads and sent him to bring 
Duck to him that evening. Falcon tried to persuade his wife to do as 
Ku'tcu wished, but she refused to take the beads or to have anything 
to do with Coyote. When night came, however, Falcon told Coyote 
to take her to Ku'tcu. 



-s A small bird with a topknot. 



1919] Barrett: Myths of the Southern Sierra Miwok 13 

During the night Falcon slipped out and found the race course 
over which his father had played "running hall.*' He looked it over 
carefully and found that while Ku'tcu 's part of the course was very 
smooth, that over which Yayil had run was full of holes. This was 
the reason why he had lost the race, for his ball rolled into these holes. 
Falcon then filled the holes and smoothed this part of the course also. 

Early the next morning the fire was built and the crier called all 
tn assemble for the race. Ku'tcu brought four balls with him. Falcon 
took two of them and dropped them to the ground, where they stuck 
firmly. He therefore refused to play with these balls and insisted 
upon using those that he himself hail brought. Ku'tcu asked him to 
swap balls but Falcon refused, and then Ku'tcu tried to exhaust him 
by first shooting at him with his anus, the same as he had done with 
Falcon's father. At last they raced, and Ku'tcu lost. 

Falcon then went to his step-mother, for Yayil had married a 
woman of this village, and asked her what Ku'tcu had done when he 
gambled with Yayil. She told him the story of Yayil 's fate and 
advised him to treat Ku'tcu in the same manner. Falcon returned to 
the race course. When Ku'tcu tried to satisfy his debt by payment 
of beads. Falcon refused them and threw Ku'tcu and Buzzard into the 
flames. The rest of the inhabitants of the village tried at first to hide. 
then to bribe Falcon to spare them, but he burned them as fast as he 
caught them. Finally, he threw the two firemen. Woodrat and Owl, 
into their own flames. These two begged Falcon to spare them but he 
said. "It is useless for you to beg. You made the fire, so yon must 
burn." 

He then went and asked his step-mother where he could find the 
two men who lived off by themselves. These were Sapsucker and 
Pe'pelna. 20 great magicians whom no one dared approach, because to 
see them made one ill. She told Falcon where to find them, for they 
lived but a short distance from the village. 

"When he went into their house they told him to be seated between 
them. They asked why he had come. He replied that he wanted them 
to bring his father back to life and offered to pay them well for the 
service. They said. "Yes. we can do that for you. but first we must 
find his bones." They then discussed how it should be done. One 
thought they might make the eyes of sunflowers (tcatcilimme), of 
pa'llahl, of ko'tea. or of other flowers, but decided that each was too 
heavy for the purpose. They therefore decided to use a flower called 
toho'nl. They decided to make the bones of le'ha, a species of cane. 



ill insectivorous biril resembling ,t saps 



14 University of California Publications in Am. Arch, and Ethn. [Vol. 16 

since it would be so light as not to interfere with flight. Accordingly 
they put some feathers on the end of a piece of cane, so thai it looked 
like an arrow, and Sapsucker took Falcon's bow and shot it as far as 
possible into the sky. Soon they heard a hissing sound far out of 
sight in the sky, moving swiftly back and forth overhead. Finally. 
Yayil flew down near them. Falcon seated himself between the two 
magicians and said to Yayil, "Are you really my father? You do 
not look just like him." He then asked the magicians if they had 
really made his father, to which lliey replied that they had dune their 
best and that he could not be expected to look just like the former 
Yayil for he was "half dead." Falcon answered, "Well, of course, 
if that is the best you can do, I suppose I shall have to accept him as 
my father." 

Next he finished burning the entire south country, burning every- 
one except his step-mother and the two magicians. 

Then he started northward to this world, taking his wife, his 
partner, and his father. When they had come about halfway back 
to the falling-rock gate, Falcon told his father that he did not like 
his appearance, because he was half dead, and that it would be better 
if he did not try to return to this world but went down to the ocean 
in I he south world to live. This he did, and the other three went on 
toward home. 

After they had passed through the falling-rock gate, Falcon told 
his wife and partner that lie wanted to kill Lizard who had sent the 
fire after them when they had passed southward. He went, therefore, 
to Lizard's house and shot him twice as he came out of his doorway. 
He told Lizard's wife to stay there. He also told her that he mnsl 
kill the other person who was responsible for the fire which had so 
nearly killed them. She advised him not to do so, but he insisted. 
He went on a short distance and found Quartz-rock who had fire, but 
did not harm anyone with it. lie killed Quartz-rock as he had Lizard. 
As soon as Quartz-rock was dead he turned into this stone. 

Falcon rejoined his wife and partner, and the three returned home. 

8. FALCON RESCUES HIS SISTEB 

One day Falcon said to some of his frineds, "I understand that I 
had a sister. I have heard that my father had a daughter." He 
inquired of many people about his sister, but all said they knew 
nothing of her. The fact was the people of a village about halfway 
to the north end of the world had stolen her. 



1919] Barrett: Myths of the Southern Sierra Miwok 15 

Falcon went out and set up an arrow. Tt fell toward the north. 
This showed that his sister was in that direction, so he started off that 
way. His partner came to the house very shortly after and found that 
he had gone. He set out at once to track him, and overtook him 
within a short distance. He said to Falcon. "How is it that you go 
off and leave me this way?" Falcon answered, "I did not go very 
far." His friend said, ""Well, you had better not go in that direction ; 
something might happen to you." 

They went on together and reached a point just below Merced 
Falls. Here Falcon proposed that they should eat. "But," said his 
partner, "what shall we eat?" "Oh," said Falcon, "I guess we ran 
scratch around here in the sand. This plant here has seeds near the 
root." He then scratched a hole in the ground. He had a wife and 
little hoy down there in the underworld. His wife pulled him down 
under the world, leaving his partner mourning at the hole where he 
had disappeared. She had a great quantity of food there which 
Falcon ate. 

Two men came into the house where Falcon was eating and he 
invited them to be seated and eat with him. Then others came in. 
The last two who arrived shot at Falcon, who dodged their arrows and 
jumped outside the house. Here he fought them all until their arrows 
were gone. Then he said to the chief of the village, Sandhill Crane. 
"Now seize me by the arms and put me into that cooking basket. 
Boil the water and cook me well. That is the way you can kill me." 
This they did. and Falcon's wife and son buried his bones. 

Falcon's nephew, Crow, missed his uncle and asked whither he 
had gone. The people replied, "He went toward the north to look 
for his sister." He then tracked Falcon and finally found his partner 
near the hole. Crow asked him if he had seen Falcon and received the 
reply, "Yes, my partner went down that hole there." 

Crow immediately flew down and shot four times, once in each of 
the four cardinal directions, killing a great many of the people. lie 
then went to Falcon's wife and asked how it was that they had killed 
his uncle. She replied that it was really his own fault, for he had 
told Crane how to catch and cook him. 

Crow remained there and mourned and on the fifth day Falcon 
came to life again. 

He asked his wife where all the people had gone. She told him 
that Crow had killed them. Falcon said. "I'm sorry he did that 
because they think they killed me. I should like to show them what 



1(3 University of California Publications in Am. Arch, and FJhn. [Vol.16 

kind of a being I am and that they cannot kill me." Therefore, when 
Crow tried to talk to him, he answered that he wished Crow had let 
the people alone 

They finally settled matters and Crow and Falcon returned to this 
world through the same hole. He sent Crow home while he and his 
partner, who had stayed crying and mourning beside the hole for five 
days and nights without food, went on northward. 

Xext morning Crow again missed his uncle. lie went to Ins aunt 
and asked if he had come back during the night. She replied that 
he had not. and Crow said. "Well, I guess I shall have to track him 
again." 

He soon overtook Falcon and his partner and started out to travel 
with them. Now. Crow lived on grasshoppers, and while he was catch- 
ing them along the way, his two companions left him. 

Presently they reached a village and Falcon sent his partner to 
see if his sister was there. 

As Crow followed, he came upon an old woman outside her house 
singing and cooking quail's eggs. Crow said. "Well, what have you 
here?" and commenced to scratch around and eat everything he could 
see. 

When he had finished he saw a rattlesnake by the door of the house. 
He took a stick and killed it, saying. "That is good to eat. Why do 

you put it there by the door?" He then pla 1 the snake in the 

fire to roast. 

This snake was one of the outer guards of the door of the house. 
The other outer guard, whose position was on the right as you entered 
the house, was a grizzly bear. The left and right guards respectively 
at the inner end of the tunnel were a puma and a wolf. Crow shot 
these other three guards and cooked them. 

He then went into the house and found Falcon's sister sitting at 
the rear. She had been. kept there as a concubine and without food 
for so long that she was now only skin and bones. She was such a 
frightful sight that Crow did not take her away with him. He first 
weiil to Falcon and said, "Well, uncle, you want to see your sister. 
do you not ? Rut I doubt if you can bear to see her now. She is only 
skin and bones, she has been treated so badly." Falcon replied, 
"Never mind. I will see her." 

He brought his sister out of the house. Then he shot everyone in 
the village, took his sister and his partner with him, and returned 
home. 



1019] Bo. ett: Myths of tht Southern Sierra Miwok 17 

Crow also returned, but by another route. He went along beside 
the trail, eating all the grasshoppers he eould find. He was always 
eating something. 

9. EAGLE RESCUED FROM THE UPPER WORLD 30 

In the days before people were upon the earth and when birds and 
mammals were like men. Eagle was the chief of a large village. He 
had no children. His wife was Chipmunk. She slept in a place by 
herself. 

The women of the village went out each day to gather seeds. 
Eagle's wife always went at sundown in search of seeds. Now, almost 
every day some child was missing from the village. 

For a long time Eagle did not know that his wife went away at 
night. Finally, lie became suspicious and noted that upon two or 
three successive nights she was absent from the house. This made him 
so jealous that he beat her almost to death and drove her from the 
house. She was snon found by a man. who carried her to his home by 
means of a pack strap. Here she lingered for a week- or so and died. 
The white stripes on the sides of the chipmunk as we see them today 
are the marks of this beating by Eagle. 

Realizing what he had done. Eagle mourned the hiss of his wife 
for the prescribed year. During this year he lay in bed crying almost 
all the time. He never washed his face, lienee the very dark face of 
the eagle today. At last Eagle's aunt ceremonially washed his face 
and took him from the house to swim. 

Yelelkin swooped down and caught Eagle by the head and flew 
away with him, finally taking him through the door in the sky which 
is directly in the zenith, and carrying him to his house in the upper 
w r orld. The people of the village saw Yelelkin carrying Eagle away 
and tried to save him. Being unsuccessful, they ran to Coyote and 
tolil him what had happened. Coyote possessed supernatural 
knowledge which enabled him to ascertain just where Eagle had been 
taken. He ran to the four ends of the world in the following order: 
south, east, north, and west, trying to find some way to reach the 
upper world. At last he ran back to the village and began to dance, 
jumping higher and higher as the dance progressed. Finally he 
succeeded in jumping high enough to reach the door of the upper 
world in the zenith and saw Yelelkin 's house only a short distance 
awav. 



so Cf. Merriam, op. cit., 163-167. 



18 University of California Publications in Am. Arch, and Ethn. | Vol. 16 

Now, when Yelelkin arrived with his captive. Bitllfrog. who was liis 
wife and also Eagle's aunt, told Yelelkin that he had better not kill 
his captive at once. To this he agreed. Presently, while Yelelkin was 
out of the house. Bullfrog gave Eagle her knife, which was about two 
feet in length, and told him to hide behind a large water basket. This 
basket was one of Yelelkin 's special devices for killing his victims. 
When he returned, he said to Eagle, "Do you care for water?" Eagle 
replied, "Yes, I am thirsty," and went to the basket and leaned a 
little way over, but complained that he could not reach the water. 
Yelelkin offered to show him the way to drink from the basket, and, as 
he leaned far over into it. Eagle cut off his head with the knife which 
Bullfrog had given him. Yelelkin jumped and flopped around, as does 
any bird with its head cut off, until he was finally dead. He knocked 
everything in the house to pieces. 

Just then Coyote rushed into the house and asked Bullfrog, "How 
is my uncle? Is he still alive?" Eagle spoke up, saying, "Yes, I am 
alive and I have just finished killing Yelelkin." Coyote said, "It is 
good that you have done this. Now what are you going to do with 
Yelelkin?" Eagle said, "I have planned to burn him." Coyote said, 
"I do not think that would be good. You had better let me manage 
it." Eagle replied, "All right, but what will you do with him?" 
Coyote said, "I will save all his feathers and plant them all over 
the world. Trees and other things shall grow from them." So 
saying, he plucked the body of Yelelkin and tied the feathers into a 
bundle ready to take down to the world. 

Bullfrog asked how they would go down to the earth, but they 
replied that they did not know of any way. She thereupon wove from 
a kind of grass (ki'sl) a long rope with a sling at one end by means of 
which she let Coyote and Eagle down through the sky door in the zenith. 

Coyote ran all over the world placing Yelelkin 's feathers upon the 
mountains and in the valleys and transforming them into trees and 
bushes. 

"When he returned to the village, Eagle said. "You have done well 
in making all these. What will you do next?" Coyote replied, "I 
think I shall make a new kind of people. You know we are not real 
people. "We are only half animal and half human." He then desig- 
nated what each one of the then existing beings should become. He 
said, "I shall be coyote. You shall be eagle." Among those he named 
were the following: chicken hawk, falcon, klli'kklla, 31 huku'mi. 



3i To this bird lie said, "Y(m shall be a little fellow ami I shall eat you at 
times. You shall eat small birds. " 



1919] Barrett: Myths of thi Southern Sierra Miwok 19 

hatca'wl, night owl, te'tete, sasl'lema, toko'ino. 32 So he named one 
after another and designated the particulars concerning each. 

Falcon did not believe what Coyote told him. He did not believe 
that there would be a new people. This was before his change into 
his present bird form. But it all happened as Coyote had said. 

10. COYOTE STEALS THE SUN 33 

In olden times the sun and moon did not shine west of the timber 
line along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Everything was dark 

west of this line. There were no regular f Is and no baskets or other 

utensils such as people now have. People were never married and no 
children were born. Everything was very different in those days. 

Coyote was a great hunter. He made journeys eastward, going 
farther and farther into the mountains. The nearer he approached 
the timber line the brighter things became. As he journeyed on east- 
ward he reached a point where he could see this eastern region, lien- 
he saw people who were, to him, very strange. They had the things 
and followed the ways of present-day people. 

He returned to his own village and t < * I < I the chief of this strange, 
new land, of its people, and its wonders. Especially, he told how they 
had a sun and a moon there. The sun rose in the east each morning, 
passed over the heavens along a path somewhat to the south of the 
zenith and came at night to the home of the chief near the above- 
mentioned western line between light and darkness. The moon rose 
and passed over a similar path, but to the north of the zenith. 

The chief did not believe all this wonderful tale, but he asked what 
( Joyote wanted to do about the whole matter. ( Joyote replied, ' ' I could 
go and steal that light very easily." The chief asked, "But what 
could we do with the sun if we had it?" Coyote replied, "I do not 
know exactly, but we would manage in some way to make it go." 

Coyote made several trips over to the east, each time returning to 
the village and reporting to the chief and his people the wonderful 
things he had seen. No one believed ('..yule's story and some even 
openly made fun of him. calling him a wild dreamer. He finally 
decided to act on his own account. He journeyed eastward again, this 



32 To this bird he said, "Yon shall eat grasshoppers ami lizards. I shall 
create them for you. ' ' 

33 A somewhat different version of this myth is given by Dr. Merriam, op. 
/■it., 3.1-43. A related incident, the theft of fire, is giver by Professor Kroeber, 
op. cit., 202, 203, and by Mr. Gifford, op, cit., 284-286, 332, 333. 



20 University of California Publications in Am. Arch,, and Ethn. | Vol. L6 

time going clear over into the land of light. Here he transformed 
himself into a dead branch of a tree and lay down across the trail 
along which he knew the chief of the sun village would return from 
hunting. 

After a time the chief came along the trail, hurrying to reach home 
before the sun should return to his bouse for the night. He picked 
up the branch, threw it over his shoulder and took it home with the 
remainder of his burden. Arriving, he threw the stick down on his 
woodpile, as he would have thrown any other dry branch. 

In the evening he placed one end of this stick in the (ire. It 
squirmed around and finally removed itself from the fire. He then 
placed it farther into the fire. It bent around so that it partly encircled 
the blaze and thus escaped burning. The chief then tried various 
other means of keeping it in the fire until at last he placed it across 
the fire. It quickly stood on end at the side of the blaze and saved 
itself. 

The chief grew more and more drowsy, finally dropping off to sleep. 
When Coyote saw that be was fast asleep, he returned to his animal 
form, seized the sun and ran out of the house with it. 

The chief awoke in time to see Coyote going, and gave the alarm. 
The people of the village pursued Coyote but he was a very swift 
runner, and, notwithstanding his burden, was able to outrun them all. 
He succeeded in crossing safely the border of the dark land beyond 
which his pursuers dared not venture on account of the darkness, and 
then proceeded easily to his own village. 

He placed the sun upon the ground in front of the chief of his 
village, who looked it over, poked it with his foot, and said, "Well, 
what good is that thing? What use can we make of it, anyway.'" 
Coyote replied, "Never mind, we will make use of it. We will make 
it go as it did over in the east, but we will make it light the whole 
world. I will manage it some way." 34 

Coyote did arrange it so that the sun moved as it does now. He 
made it rise through an entrance near the easternmost margin of the 
world and travel the path up through the zenith and pass out of the 
sky through a similar opening in the west. It now travels, during the 
night, under our world and over the underworld, which is also 
peopled, returning by morning to the point of rising at the east margin 
of our world. 



a* The informant was not certain just how Coyote arranged this, but felt sure 
that some of his people must know, thus indicating that his version of this myth 
lacks certain details at this point. 



1919] Barrett: Myths of the Southern Sierra Miwol 



MYTHS OF THE YOSEMITE VALLEY 

11. THE CREATION OF THE YOSEMITE VALLEY 

Half Dome lived with her husband, Washington Tower, mi the 
bank of the Merced river at a point out on the edge of the San Joaquin 
valley. Owing to some quarrel with her husband, Half Dome ran 
away toward the east. As she proceeded up through the mountains, 
she created the upper course of the Merced river and the Yosemite 
valley itself. She- carried with her a burden basket, a finely feathered 
basket, and her baby in its cradle. In the finely feathered basket she 
carried seeds of various kinds and acorns which she planted all along 
the way. Hence we have many different kinds of these foods now. 

Finding that his wife had left him. Washington Tower cut a white 
oak club and started after her. He overtook her near the point where 
this great peak now stands. She had taken her baby out of its cradle 
basket and placed it on top of her load in the burden basket, carrying 
the cradle meanwhile under her arm. 

Washington Tower whipped Half Dome severely. The burden 
basket was broken and fell with its contents into Mirror lake. It has 
never since been seen. The globose basket, richly decorated with red- 
headed-woodpecker feathers, and which had held the seeds sown along 
the journey, was thrown to the north side of the canyon. It landed 
bottom upward and became North Dome. 

She threw the baby cradle over against the north wall of the 
canyon where it now appears in the "Royal Arches." This is in 
reality the sunshade or arched hood of the basket. 

As Half Dome received her punishment she wept bitterly and was 
soon transformed into the present great peak. The dark colored 
streaks on the vertical wall on the north of Half Dome are the tear 
stains on her face. She wore, at this time, a buckskin dress, but 
nothing now remains to indicate it. Women have ever since worn this 
kind of dress. 

The club which Washington Tower used he finally threw aside. It 
landed upright in the center of Mirror lake ami remained there as a 
large, black snag until a few years ago, when it disappeared. 

When Washington Tower had spent his wrath, he went over on the 
north side of the valley, where he has since remained, a great shaft 
of granite. 



University of California Publication* in Am. Arch, and Ethn. | Vol. 16 



'1-2. THE ORIGIN OF EL CAPITAN 

El Capitan was originally a very small rock. An old bear and her 
two cubs went to sleep on top of it one night. When they awoke in 
the morning they found themselves in a strange place far up in the 
sky, for the rock. El Capitan, had grown to he very tall overnight, 

The people of the village discussed unavailingly how they might 
rescue these unfortunates, and had nearly abandoned the idea when 
Measuring-worm succeeded in climbing the cliff and found thai all 
three bears had starved to death. He gathered their bones and brought 
them down. The people burned these hones in the usual way. 



13. THE ORIGIN OF THE PRESENT FLOOR OF THE 
YOSEMITE VALLEY 

Measuring-worm again ascended to tin 1 top of El Capitan and then 
leaned out and finally stretched across to the opposite side of the 
canyon, so that his head was on the one side while his tail was on the 
other. He then crossed over to the south rim of the canyon. 

Later he reerossed to El Capitan and again descended to the floor 
of the valley. 

The walls of the canyon then began to cave in and all the people 
were obliged to flee down the river. The valley was, in those days, 
much deeper than now and somewhat narrower. The caving-in of its 
walls partly filled the valley and made all of the earth and the piles of 
talus now in the floor of the valley. 



14. THE LOST ARROW 

In former times people used to drive deer to the top of the preci- 
pice of the great rock called Yosemite Point, just east of Tosemite 
Palls, in order to make them jump over and thus the people might 
secure meat. One day some deer turned and ran along the edge of 
the precipice and a hunter shot at them. He missed his mark and his 
arrow fell on the side of the cliff. Here it now appears as a very 
sharp, perpendicular peak, the Lost Arrow. 



1919] Barrett: Myths of the Southern Sierra Miwolc 



15. THE SPIRITS OF YOSEMITE FALLS35 

In the waters just below Yosemite Falls live the po'loti, a group 
of dangerous spirit women. The incident related in the following 
story is said to have been the work of these spirits. 

There was, in olden times, a village a short distance from the foot 
of Yosemite Falls. A maiden from this village went to the stream fur 
a basket of water. She dipped the basket into the stream as usual but 
brought it up full of snakes. 3 " She went farther up stream and tried 
again, but with the same result. She tried repeatedly, each time a 
little farther up stream, but always drew a basketful of snakes. 
Finally she reached the pool at the foot of Yosemite Falls and a sudden, 
violent wind blew her into it. 

During the night she gave birth to a child which she wrapped in a 
blanket and brought home the next morning. The girl's mother was; 
very curious and soon took the blanket off the baby in order to see it. 
Immediately a violent gale arose and blew the entire village and ils 
inhabitants into this same pool. Nothing has ever been seen or heard 
of them since. 



35 Information concerning two other groups of spirits was secured. 

The Spirits abov< Bridal V< il Fulls. — A short distance above Bridal Veil Falls 
is a lake somewhat like Mirror lake. Here live certain beautiful maidens whose 
tresses hang down to their feet. They have a very sharp sense of smell and 
can detect easily the approach of a human being. They cause a violent wind in 
an endeavor to blow the victim into the lake and drown him. These maidens 
then devour him. The victim's spirit remains forever in the depths of the lake. 
Very little is known of the personal appearance of these women except that 
they are very beautiful, are pure white, with blue eyes, and have very long hair. 
That so little is known of them is due to the fact that they are greatly feared 
and anyone who is so unfortunate as to come in sight of one of them takes no 
time for observations but makes off if possible at top speed. Similar women 
are in the waters above Yosemite Falls. Cf. Merriam, op. <-i/., 22^-230. 

The Spirits at the foot of Bridal Veil Falls. — Another class of these super- 
natural beings are the pu'hunu, who formerly lived in the pool at the foot of 
Bridal Veil Falls. Informants could not give very definite accounts of these 
beings but knew that they were harmless except in that they always caused the 
water of the fall to blow out ami wet anyone who approached too close to its foot. 

3« This incident of the dipping up of snakes instead of water is given, but in 
an otherwise very different myth, by Dr. Merriam, op. eit., 127, 128. 



University of California Publications in Am. Arch, and Ethn. | Vol. Hi 



ABSTRACTS 

1. The six peoplings of the world. — The first people are devoured by a 
cannibal giant, Uwu'lin, who is finally killed by means of a tiny vulnerable spot 
in his heel, discovered by Fly. The bones of this giant are later found and 
cause the death of their discoverer. 

The second people are largely stolen by Yelelkin, an immense mythical bird, 
the remainder being driven out by black ants. 

The third people are birds and mammals with human attributes. The 
stalactites in Bower Cave are the remains of the food of their chiefs. To 
facilitate hunting Raven becomes black. People are finally transformed into 
animals. 

The fourth people have a very overbearing chief, Skunk, who greedily keeps 
all meat obtained by his hunters for himself. The people trap Skunk through 
his vanity, and kill him. While dying, Skunk creates mountains. Again people 
are transformed into animals. 

[The incident of the fifth people was forgotten by the informant.] 

The sixth people are created by Coyote. There is only water at first, but 
Coyote creates land from earth brought up by Frog. He creates vegetation. 
He finally creates people with hands like Lizard's and arranges for reproduction. 
He and his people are then transformed into animals. 

2. The birth of Falcon. — Condor's wife, a rock, gives birth to Falcon, who 
becomes chief. Falcon brings into being his grandfather, Coyote, who instructs 
him. 

3. Falcons contest with Kl'laJc. — Falcon goes to contest with Ki'lak and is 
killed. By means of a magic token, Coyote learns of Falcon's death and goes 
to avenge it. He hits Ki'lak's one vulnerable spot on his wing, and kills him. 

4. Falcon, escapes tin world fire. — Ki'lak's death starts a great world fire from 
which Falcon escapes by going to the ocean. Coyote and Condor arc inde- 
structible and remain. 

5. Coyote and Falcon create people. — Falcon ponders Coyote's power and 
induces him to create human beings, Coyote secures feathers by entrapping 
birds which eat their way into his body while he feigns death. He places these 

feathers all over the world and gives places names. The feathers I ime human 

beings. 

Since the creation of the new race there is no room for the old one, and 
Coyote causes it to be transformed into birds and mammals. 

6. Tayil's journey to the smith world- — Yayil, a great gambler, journeys to 
the southern world where he plays "running ball" with Kii'teii, who exacts the 
death penalty when Yayil loses. 

7. Falcon's search for Yayil. — Falcon grows up and learns his father's where- 
abouts by means of an arrow stood on end and blown by the wind toward the 
south. He leaves a log in bed to deceive his wife, Duck, while he and a friend 
burrow out of the village. Duck discovers where Falcon has gone by throwing 
some hair in the air and observing the direction in which the wind blows it. 
She follows with food. Falcon dreams that Duck is following him and plans 
to kill her. Her magic stops his arrow and she journeys with them. 

Falcon sends his partner and Duck on while he visits Lizard and Frog. 
Lizard sends fire in pursuit of Falcon who, with his companions, reaches the 
falling-rock gate at the south end of the world. They then run to the other 
three ends of the world to escape the fire. Falcon creates a small spring. 
Duck finally creates a large spring and all are saved. 



1919] Barrett: Myths of the Southern Sierra MiwoTc 25 

Falcon succeeds in jumping through the southern gateway of the world but 
Duck 's feet are clipped off. 

Falcon and his companions reach the village of the southern world. He 
prepares the race course during the night and refuses to use Ku'tcu's tricky 
balls. Falcon wins the race and burns Ku'tcu and Buzzard, and, later, all the 
inhabitants of the village. 

Falcon visits two powerful magicians who restore Yayil to life. Falcon then 
burns the southern world, saving only his step-mother and the two magicians. 
Yavil goes to live in the southern ocean and Falcon and his companions return 
to the world. 

Falcon kills Lizard and Quartz-rock and returns home. 

8. Falcon rescues his sister. — Falcon 's sister is stolen by the north people. 
He discovers her whereabouts by means of a token. 3 1 is wife takes him to the 
underworld, where he is killed. 

Crow searches for Falcon, kills his slayers, and brings him to life. They 
return to the world and Falcon and his partner resume their journey northward. 

Crow again searches for Falcon and journeys with him. He stops to eat 
grasshoppers and is left behind. He visits an old woman, who has a rattlesnake, 
a bear, a puma, and a wolf as guards, kills her guards, and finds Falcon's sister 
in her house, emaciated beyond recognition. Falcon rescues his sister and 
avenges her wrongs. 

9. Eagle rescued from the upper world. — Eagle's wife, Chipmunk, deceives 
him and is beaten to death. Through this beating she acquires stripes. Eagle 
mourns and his face becomes black. 

Yelelkin carries Eagle to the upper world, whither Coyote goes to rescue 
him. Bullfrog saves Eagle's life and the latter kills Yelelkin. Coyote takes 
Yelelkin's feathers to earth and creates vegetation from them. The first people 
are then transformed into animals. 

10. Coyote steals the sun. — Formerly the sun was kept east of the Sierra 
Nevada and the people of the region to the west had none. While hunting. 
Coyote discovers light and describes the sun and the eastern land to his people. 
They deride his sun story and he determines to steal it unaided. He gains 
entrance to the chief's house by transforming himself into a stick of wood, 
which the chief carries home. He escapes being burned and, while the chief 
sleeps, steals the sun and outwits his pursuers. Coyote places the sun in the 
sky and regulates its movements. 

11. The Creation of Tosemite Valley. — TTalf Pome leaves her husband. Wash- 
ington Tower, and journeys eastward, creating Merced River Canyon, and 
Yosemite Valley ami the flora of the region. Tier enraged husband beats her. 
She is changed into her present form. North Dome and the Royal Arches were 
formed of a basket and cradle she carried. 

12. The origin of El Capitan. — Bears sleep upon a growing rock, fail to 
descend, and starve to death. Measuring-worm ascends El Capitan and brings 
down their bones. 

13. The origin of the present floor of Yosemite Valley. — Measuring-worm 
ascends El Capitan and spans Yosemite Valley. Upon returning to El Capitan 
the walls of Yosemite cave in, forming the present floor of the valley. 

14. The Lost Arrow. — A deer hunter misses his mark and his arrow forms a 
peak, the Lost Arrow. 

15. The spirits of Yosemite Falls. — A girl dips water from a river and get 
basketful of snakes. She is finally blown into the water and gives birth to a 
supernatural child. Her mother's curiosity causes another gale, which blows 
the entire village into the water. 



University of California Publications in Am. Arch, and Ethn. | Vol. 16 



GLOSSARY 37 

acorn, tele'li. 

acorn cache, tca'ka. 

ant (a big black species), humu'kilu. 

awl, tcw'lla. 

badger, Ti'wu. 

baskets, tci'kele, burden basket; tcokine, head protector or arched 1 1 of 

the basketry cradle; ko'ti, basket completely covered with red feathers 
from the head of the California woodpecker ami with quail plumes; made 
of twine upon a multiple grass foundation. 

Bridal Veil Falls (Yosemite Valley), pu'hfinu tco'lak. 

bullfrog, u'lusmukaiyi. 

cane, le'ha (a species of cane). 

Cathedral Spires (Yosemite Valley), pu'sina tca'ka (mouse acorn cai 

chipmunk, TM'pJ. 

Clouds' Rest (Yosemite Valley), wa'kali. 

condor, mo'llok. 

coyote, ahe'li. 

crow, a'uT; cf. raven. 

dove, kuhi'wi. 

ducks, hi'lkuhnai, a small bluish species; ilakna; yaulia. 

eagle, wi'paiak. 

Eagle Peak (Yosemite Valley), woho'ka. 

El Capitan (Yosemite Valley), toto'konula. This is an untranslatable term 
which refers to the "face" which looks toward the southwest at a point 
about halfway down the cliff. This "face" or "head" is said to 
resemble that of an Indian with a band about his head. 

falcon, we'kwek. 

frog, wa'tana, wata'kna; olo'tcokomayi, olo'tcoma. Set also bullfrog. 

Glacier Point (Yosemite Valley), ha'katwi (blue-bellied lizard). 

grass, Id's! (a species of grass). 

grizzly bear, uhu'matl. 

Half Dome (Yosemite Valley), awo'nl. 

hatca'wT, a species of bird. 

hawks, we'wek, falcon; Ilka', chicken hawk; kili'kkila, a small species of hawk. 

huku'mi, a species of bird. 

huxe'pl (Yosemite Valley), beautiful cannibal spirit maidens with tresses ex- 
tending to the ground who live in the lake above Bridal Veil Falls, 
awa'ya uhuti (bad), another name for these beings. 

Indian Canyon (Yosemite Valley), ho'pahula. 

Inspiration Point (Yosemite Valley), o'lahiktel. 

invisible people, po'lotl. Beings who are visible for a time but who disappear 
when approached. 

kili'kkila, a small species of hawk. 

ki'si, a kind of grass. 



37 This glossary lists the terms used in the present paper and also the names 
of important places in Yosemite Valley. The alphabet employed is described in 
" Ethno-Geography of the Porno Indians," present series, vi, 51, 1908. 



RD 14.8 



1919] Barrett: Myths of the Southern Sierra Miwolc 27 

ko'tca, a kind of flower. 

ku'tcu, a shaggy, supernatural being called, by one informant, "buffalo.'' 

lake, awa'ya (generic term). 

le'ha, a species of cane. 

lizard, kassa'tfi, a large species; owo'to, a large, long species. 

Lost Arrow (Yosemite Valley), mu'tckul. 

measuring- worm, tulta'kna. 

mermaids (Yosemite Valley), huxe'pi, mermaids above Bridal Veil Falls; 
pii'hunu, mermaids at the foot of Bridal Veil Falls; po'loti, mermaids 
at the foot of Yosemite Falls. 

Milky Way, waka'lmuTo. 

Mirror lake (Yosemite Valley), awa'ya. 

Morning Star, tw'le. 

mouse, pu'slna. 

mountain lion, see puma. 

Nevada Falls (Yosemite Valley), pa'iwaiak. 

North Dome (Yosemite Valley), to'koyi. 

ono'tcoktcl (Yosemite Valley), grandmother of Sentinel. This is the small pro- 
jecting rock at the pinnacle of the lower spire immediately east of 
Sentinel. The small projections around her are others of her grand- 
children, called adje. 

owls, no'potkolo, night owl; hukii'mi; hatca'wi. 

pa'llahi, a kind of flower. 

pe'lpelna, a small, insectivorous bird resembling a sapsucker. 

po'loti, a class of supernatural women living in the waters just below Yosemite 
Falls. 

puma, hili'tca. 

quart /-rock, ho'sokilwo. 

rattlesnake, lawa'Ti. 

raven, ka'kul; cf. crow. 

Ribbon Falls or Maiden's Tears (Yosemite Valley), lunuTukuya. 

Royal Arches (Yosemite Valley), teo'kone, head protector on baby basket. 

sandhill crane, toto'kon. 

sapsucker, tcu'TaTakwila. 

sasi'lema, a species of bird. 

Sentinel (Yosemite Valley), lo'ya. 

skunk, hi'sik. 

South Dome, Half Dome (Yosemite Valley), Te'seyak. 

sunflower, tcatci'limme. 

te'tete, a species of bird. 

Three Brothers (Yosemite Valley), ha'miik, falling rock; tiki tun, smallest of 
the Three Brothers; ha'miik, middle of the Three Brothers; ha'te, Eagle 
Peak. 

Tnree Graces (Yosemite Valley), Ta'kawa. 

toho'ni, a kind of flower. 

toki'lna, a small bird with a topknot. 

toko'ino, a species of bird. 

turtle, awa'nta. 

Tutulawiak Falls (Yosemite Valley), tutfllawi'ak. 

Uwii'lin, from ii'wu, to eat. A great cannibal giant who devoured nearly all 
the first people of the world. 

Vernal Falls (Yosemite Valley), has no name according to one informant. 



28 University of California Publications in Am. Arch, and Ethn. [Vol.16 

Washington Tower (Yosemite Valley), na'fias, husband of Half Dome. 

waterfall, tca'lak (generic term). 

woodrat, lo'lok. 

Ya'yil, a supernatural being and father of falcon. 

ye'lelkin, a supernatural bird resembling an eagle but several times larger and 

of the color of an owl. It is supposed to have carried people off to 

its home in the upper world. 
Yosemite, yo'hemiute, from yo'he, to kill, ami miuti'ya, people. 
Yosemite Valley, awo'ni. 

Yosemite Falls (Yosemite Valley), awo'ni tcolak. 
Yosemite Point (Yosemite Valley), o'mii to miss an object, especially game, 

shooting at it with the bow and arrow. 
Yosemite Meadow, woho'ka, the meadow west of what is called "Soldier Camp." 
Yosemite Valley people, mi'wu awo'ni hiiye, literally people Yosemite Valley 

down; awo'nitci, from awo'ni, Yosemite Valley. This term was applied 

by outsiders to anyone coming from Yosemite Valley. 



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